


Seeing the Truth

by BlueBoxDetective



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Reality, Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 02:51:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17417630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBoxDetective/pseuds/BlueBoxDetective
Summary: A young woman bumps into a new coworker at work. Quickly she and the blond, odd woman get into a conversation. The human doesn't know that the Doctor is here for a reason - her.





	Seeing the Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Doctor Who is a trademark of the BBC, all rights reserved. My story is only shared for the enjoyment of others and is not intended to get myself any advantages or to create the feeling that the characters are my own.

I had been looking at the coffee in my hand in an effort not to spill it as I walked back to my cubicle when I bumped into her.  
“I'm so sorry!” I was quick to tell the blonde woman, making sure I hadn't burnt her with hot brown liquid. But her odd clothing (a coat in an office?) seemed to be just fine.  
“Oh don't worry,” she answered in a heavy accent, a big smile covering her face, “I'm new here so it's a good excuse to meet people.”  
I returned her contagious smile and held out my hand to her: “Hi, I'm Alice.” She shook my hand a bit too enthusiastic: “Nice to meet you, Alice. I'm the Doctor!”  
I raised an eyebrow in confusion: “Doctor who?”  
“Just Doctor is fine,” was her response and the joy in her expression made me not question her name any further. In an impulse I asked: “Do you want to join me for lunch? I was just heading to the cafeteria.”  
“Sure!” the woman cheered and her eyes shimmered with excitement, “I'd love to have lunch in a cafeteria. Last time I did that the hosts started an uprising, maybe I'll be able to finish my food today.”  
I hid my confusion about her words behind a smile and lead the way to the office's overcrowded cafeteria. Minutes later I sat opposite of the strange but fascinating lady. “Is this your first day?” I questioned and the Doctor nodded with a mouth full of pasta. “Yes,” she added, “I'm still quite confused. Thank god I found you. How long have you been working here?”  
“Oh it's nearly been fifteen years,” I replied after a quick calculation, and with honest admiration in her eyes the woman started to question me about my career. We spent lunch talking and the Doctor tells me that she is new in town and moved here for the job. Since she did seem very friendly I decided to invite her: “Do you want to grab a drink after work? I always make a stop at a pub on my way home, have been doing it for the whole time I work here. Feel free to join me if you want.”  
The blonde smiled her big smile and nods quickly, her hair swinging wildly. “I would love to.” We agreed to meet after work and parted for the following hours.

I met her again shortly after five pm, she seemed to be filled with energy and excitement. Before I even reached her she began talking: “Oh I'm quite looking forward to this. What do you do in the Pub? Do you drink? Or do you have many fights, like with fists and stuff? 'Cause I wouldn't like that, I have to admit.” Stopping the flow of words she looked at me with curiosity in her eyes.  
“No,” I tried to explain, “No fighting, don't worry. Most days I don't even drink alcohol. It has just become a habit of mine. I know all the people there, the bartenders, the owner, the people who come by every day. I'm sure they will be happy to meet you.” The woman smiled and followed me down the road with big strides. We turned around the corner and I held out my hand, pointing: “Tada! This is it, Corners Club. Open on every day of the year,” I looked to the blond woman to see her expression, but instead of curiosity I noticed concern in her slight frown. “Don't like it?” I questioned, feeling oddly disappointed. “No!” She was quick to respond, “Let's go, I'd like to see the place from the inside.”  
The smile returned to her face and I stepped through the doors. “Hey guys!” I yelled into the room, several people turned to me and greeted us. I led the Doctor to my usual table and we sat down. “Can I get you something to drink?” I offered and the woman nodded, “Some juice?”  
Moments later I was back with two glasses filled with apple juice and placed it in front of us. Looking at the woman next to me I noticed how she was viewing everything. It seemed as if her gaze was going right through all the people inside the room, focusing on weird blank spots on the walls. “What do you do here normally?” She asked, her voice sounding just a tiny bit off. “Oh, its quite similar most of the days. I sit and drink something, I chat with all the people around here. I know them all, this is Pete, Luce, Andrew, over there is Sonja...” I pointed as I introduced the people but the Doctor didn't follow my motions. “Do new people come here sometimes?” She wanted to know, staring at the door. “You have a lot of weird questions,” I stated as I thought about what she had asked. “I don't think so,” I answered eventually, “It's mostly just the usual people. But hey, at least we're loyal customers!” I laughed, but the blonde didn't join in. Trying to lighten the mood I raised my glass and held it out so the Doctor would drink with me. But she didn't even pick up her drink. “What's wrong?” I asked and placed my apple juice back on the table, getting annoyed at the behaviour of my strange guest. The woman looked at me and all I could see was sadness in her eyes. “I'm so sorry Alice,” she stated quietly. Suddenly I noticed a drop of water falling from her hair. It was all wet, just like her clothes. “Why are you dripping with water?” I insisted and moved away in confusion.  
“Because it started raining,” She answered my question. I looked outside one of the windows and yes, I could see the rain. “But we're inside. How are you getting wet?” I continued, eyeing her up and down. Instead of answering to me she leaned closer, tilting her head slightly. “Alice, I'm sorry,” she apologized, “But you have to see the truth. Can you remember anything?”  
“What do you mean?” I wondered, “What should I remember?”  
“What happened 15 years ago?” The strange woman enquired when I noticed how angry I got about her compassionate expression.  
“I don't know what you are talking about,” I insisted, crossing my arms and looking at the other side of the room. My favourite bartender was working and I wished I could chat with her instead of my new coworker.  
“Please look at me,” the Doctor pleaded and raising my eyebrows I did what she wanted, “Look at my hair. At my clothes. I am getting wet because it is raining outside. Look at the drink you brought me. It's not there, I can't see it. Look at the people around you. Have they aged in the last 15 years? I am so sorry Alice, but this place? It burned down 15 years ago. And it was never rebuild, it's not here anymore. Alice, can you remember?”  
I stared at the apple juice on the table, listening to the words of the Doctor. As I kept staring, it slowly became transparent and faded. Panicking I looked up, but the room became smudged and the people I saw here every day for 15 years started to disappear. The warm light became darker, the windows vanished and the sound of the rain outside became louder. “What are you doing?!” I screamed at the Doctor, now noticing how drops of water fell onto her head and clothes.   
“I'm not doing anything, Alice. You're staring to see reality.”  
The room around me became blurred and I jumped up. “Sonja!” I cried out, looking at a woman in a blue jacked, but she disappeared in front of my eyes. Bit by bit the furniture went away, the walls disappeared and the people vanished, until all that was left were burned down ruins in the rain. The walls were partially fallen down, all the windows were shattered and the furniture looked black and burned. I looked at the chair I had just sat in, but there were only some staked bricks in its place. I walked over to the remainder of the bar and back to the place I had been standing in before. With my mouth open I stared horrified at the Doctor, who was watching me with furrowed brows.  
“I remember now,” I muttered, my voice breaking and cruel pictures coming to my mind. I cleared my throat and continued, “I was there. I was there when the fire started. I sat here,” I pointed at the bricks on the ground, “But I didn't get out in time, did I?” Slowly the blonde shook her head: “No, Alice. I'm sorry.”  
I let myself fall onto the bricks that looked like a chair for me seconds ago. With a blank gaze I stared into the distance. The woman took place on part of a broken in wall and spoke in a soft voice: “You have to move on, Alice. You have to let go. The longer you stay here, the more visible you become to other humans. And the people at your old workplace, they are truly scared. You can't see them and they can't interact with you.”  
“How come I can see you?” I interrupted the woman, and she smiled with half-hearted, “I'm not human,” she stated. Slowly, I nodded. For a while we both sat in silence, the Doctor giving me the time I needed to process things.  
“What now?” I asked eventually, still avoiding her gaze.  
“You move on,” she repeated, “There's nothing left here for you. I understand why you didn't want to go 15 years ago. I can imagine you loved how things were. But you can let go now, Alice.”  
“Where will I go?” There was a hint of panic in my voice and the Doctor picked up on it. Gently she put her hand on my shoulder: “I'm sorry, I don't know. But there's something, I'm certain.”  
My voice was only a whisper: “Okay.” I got to my feed and nodded, more to myself than the other woman. She still looked at me with sorrow in her eyes. “Thank you Doctor. Thank you for waking me up.”  
And slowly, the world around me faded into bright, shimmering light.  
“Welcome,” I heard a soft voice, “We have been waiting for you for a long time.”


End file.
